Domotor Case

Summary

The Domotor case is the biggest human trafficking case to arise in Canada since the Criminal Code charge came into effect in 2005. Moreover if the charges are proven in court, it will be Canada’s first conviction involving forced labour. All of the accused persons are due to appear in court on May 22, 2012. Eleven members of an extended family of Roma have been accused of recruiting mostly men from their native Hungary to work in Hamilton, Ontario. The 19 alleged victims were coached to lie to Canadian immigration authorities. The traffickers paid for their flights to Canada, then made them claim refugee status, sign up for welfare and work like slaves. Like the alleged traffickers, most of the victims are from the Roma community. The victims were forced to work for the Domotor family’s construction company without pay.

In Hamilton, the victims were kept in basements, fed scraps and were subject to threats against themselves and their families in Hungary. The social support money they received from the state was confiscated by the traffickers. The victims were also forced to hand over their identity documents.

Ferenc Domotor, 48, was arrested in the Hamilton area on October 8th 2010, a day after police announced arrest warrants for him and nine members of his family. He and his wife Viktoria Nemes, 45, are believed to have defrauded the City of Hamilton of nearly $50,000 in support payments. When Nemes fled from Hungary in 2008 she claimed refugee status because she is a Roma. She told authorities that she did not have a criminal record and no warrants appeared when the Canada Border Services Agency searched her name. In fact, Nemes is wanted in Hungary for five felony related offences. She has been convicted and ordered to serve two years and six months in jail. It was not until May of 2010 — 18 months after she arrived in Canada and began receiving Ontario Works benefits — that Hungarian authorities notified local Canadian authorities about Nemes’ criminal history. Nemes pleaded guilty in January 2012 to welfare fraud. She was sentenced to time served and was expected to be deported immediately to Hungary.

Another family member, Lajos Domotor, 43, was accused of human trafficking and involvement in a criminal organization and pleaded guilty in January 2012. He is dying of stomach cancer and received a sentence of 10½ months in prison. His wife, Gizella Kolompar, 43, pleaded guilty in February 2012 to conspiring to commit human trafficking and participating in a criminal organization. The couple's role in the organization was to hire, harbour and transport some of the victims to various locations in order to further the aims of the overall conspiracy. Kolompar was sentenced to two years in prison, in addition to eight months spent in pretrial custody. She was also ordered to pay back over $13,500 fraudulently obtained from Ontario welfare. The couple have been recommended for early parole, but only for the purpose of deportation to their native Hungary.

Also in February 2012, Ferenc Karadi pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit human trafficking, being part of a criminal organization and coercing the trafficked persons to lie to immigration authorities. He was sentenced to serve 25 additional months in prison and may receive early parole for the purpose of deportation. Similar to other members of the family accused in this case, Karadi has an extensive criminal record in Hungary, which did not appear when Canadian immigration authorities checked upon his entry to Canada.

A youth pleaded guilty to related charges in August 2011, was sentenced to time served and was deported.

There are six lawyers representing the 10 remaining accused who will appear in court on human trafficking, conspiracy, criminal organization and theft charges in May 2012. The accused remain in jail awaiting trial. None can be named because of a publication ban. It is expected that the trial will last between six and nine months.

Last updated: 25 February 2012

Media Reports

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